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Early History of Formaldehyde
FORMALDEHYDE
With the publication of Liebig's research oa acetaldehyde in 1S35, 2 *
the groundu-ork for the comprehension of the chemical nature of aldehydes
\vas*c!early set forth. In the years that followed, other aliphatic aldehydes
Fig. 1. Alexander MikhailovichButlerov, (1828-1886) deserves to be remembered as
the discoverer of formaldehyde. In 1859, he published an accurate description of
formaldehyde solution, formaldehyde gas and formaldehyde polymer with &n account
of chemical reactions including the formation of hexamethylenetefcramine on reaction
with ammonia. Although he did not characterize his methylene oxide polymer as a
formaldehyde polymer, he was definitely aware of the fact that it behaved like the
unknown -formyl aldehyde 3 '. The picture shown above was published in a book
entitled, "A. M. ButLerov, 1S28-192S" (Leningrad, 1929)- This book contains six
chapters by different authors dealing with his life and work.
Published by H-M. Leicester, J. Chem.Ed.,Vt, 203-9 (1940). Print used was given
to author by t>r. Tenney L. Davis.
were discovered and were easily recognized as belonging to this group of
chemical compounds. Propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, and isovaleraldehyde,
among others, were discovered before 1860. Formaldehyde, however,
remained unknown. The ease with which methanol passes on
oxidation from formaldehyde to formic acid and thence to carbon dioxide
and water made the isolation of formaldehyde difficult.